Transcript World War II

World War II
SOL VUS.10
The
War In Europe

WW II Began with Hitler’s Invasion of
Poland in 1939.

Shortly after, Poland was invaded by
the Soviet Union from the east and
Baltic countries.
The
United States
remained neutral for
the first two years.
Germany however, overran France
and most of Europe and pounded
Britain from the air during The Battle
of Britain.
In 1941, Hitler turned on his
former partner and invaded the
Soviet Union.
Despite the strong isolationist
sentiment at home, the United
States increasingly helped
Britain.
How did the United States Help?

By giving Britain war supplies and
warships.

In return, The United States received
military bases in Bermuda and the
Caribbean.
The Lend Lease Act gave the
President authority to sell or lend
equipment to countries to defend
themselves against the Axis powers.
President Roosevelt compared this
Act to lending a garden hose to a
neighbor whose house had caught
fire.
The
War in Asia

During the 1930’s a militaristic Japan
invaded and brutalized Manchuria
and China as it sought military and
economic domination over Asia.

The United States refused to
recognize the Japanese conquest in
Asia in the Stimson Doctrine and
imposed an embargo on exports of oil and
steel to Japan.
Tensions rose but both countries
negotiated to avoid war.
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

While negotiations with the United States
were going on and without any warning,
Japan carried out an attack on the
American Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in
Hawaii on December 2, 1941.
 This
attack destroyed much of the
American Pacific fleet and killed
several thousand Americans.
Roosevelt called this “a date that
will live in infamy” as he asked
Congress to declare war on Japan.
After Pearl Harbor, Hitler honored a
compact with Japan to declare war on the
United States.
 World War II was now an official world
war, and the United States was fully
involved.

Allied Strategies
America, Britain, and The Soviet
Union
Lets Talk Strategy!

America and its allies Britain and
the Soviet Union followed a
“Defeat Hitler First” strategy.

Most American military resources were
targeted for Europe.
Island Hopping
In the Pacific, American military strategy
called for an “island hopping” campaign,
seizing islands closer and closer to Japan.
 These islands were used as bases for air
attacks on Japan.
 They were also useful in cutting off
supplies through submarine warfare
against Japanese shipping

Axis Strategy
Germany’s Plan
Germany hoped to defeat the Soviet Union
 Gain control of the Soviet Oil Fields
 Force Britain out of the war through an air
and submarine bombing campaign
 This was supposed to happen before
America’s military and industrial strength
could turn the tide.

Japan’s Plan
Following Pearl Harbor, Japan invaded the
Philippines and Indonesia.
 They then planned to invade both
Australia and Hawaii.
 Its leaders hoped that America would then
accept Japanese predominance in
Southeast Asia and the Pacific, rather than
conduct a bloody and costly war to
reverse Japanese gains.

Famous WWII Battles
In Africa
El Alamein
German forces threatened to seize
Egypt and the Suez Canal. They
were defeated by the British.
Egypt
Suez
Canal
This defeat at El Alamein prevented
Hitler from gaining access to Middle
Eastern oil supplies and potentially
attacking the Soviet Union from the
south.
Famous WWII Battles
In Europe
Stalingrad
Hundreds of thousands of German soldiers
were killed or captured in a months long
siege of the Russian city of Stalingrad.
 This defeat prevented Germany from
seizing the Soviet oil fields and turned the
tide against Germany in the east.

Normandy Landings (D-DAY)
Americans and Allied troops under
Eisenhower landed in German occupied
France on June 6, 1944.
 Despite intense German opposition and
heavy American casualties, the landing
succeeded and the liberation of western
Europe from Hitler had begun.

Famous WWII Battles
The Pacific
Midway
In the “Miracle of Midway,” American naval
forces defeated a much larger Japanese force as
it prepared to seize Midway Island.
 Coming only a few months after Pearl Harbor, a
Japanese victory at Midway would have allowed
the Japanese to invade Hawaii.
 The American victory ended the threat to Hawaii
and began a series of American victories in the
“Island Hopping” campaign.

Iwo Jima & Okinawa
The American invasion of the islands Iwo
Jima & Okinawa, brought the American
troops closer than ever to Japan.
 Both invasions cost thousands of American
lives as Japanese soldiers fought fiercely
over every square inch of the islands.
 Japanese soldiers and civilian committed
suicide rather than surrendered.

The Use of the Atomic Bomb
If the Americans had to invade Japan,
both Americans and Japanese would have
suffered horrendous casualties.
 President Truman ordered the use of
atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force the
Japanese to surrender. Tens of
thousands of people were killed
in both cities.

Shortly after the bombs were used,
the Japanese leaders surrendered.
The need for American forces to
invade Japan was avoided.
Minority Participation
World War II solidified the nation’s
role as a global power and ushered
in social changes and established
reform agendas that would
preoccupy public discourse in the
U. S. for the remainder of the 20th
century.
Women entered into previously
male job roles as African Americans
and others struggled to obtain
desegregation of the armed forces
and end discriminatory hiring
practices.
African Americans
Served in segregated military units and
were assigned to non combat roles
 Demanded the right to fight in combat
rather than just playing support roles

Tuskegee Airman
African American
 Served in Europe with distinction

Nisei Regiments
Asian American
 Earned a high number of decorations

Additional Contributions of
Minorities
Communication codes of the Navajo were
used. These codes were oral and
impossible for the Japanese to break.
 Mexican Americans also fought, but in
units that were not segregated.
 Minority units suffered high casualties and
won numerous unit citations and individual
medals for bravery in action.

The Geneva Convention
General Rules in the Treatment of
Prisoners
What was the Geneva Convention?
Summit meeting between the nations
involved in WWII
 Attempted to ensure the humane
treatment of POW’s by establishing rules
to be followed by all nations.

The treatment of prisoners in the
Pacific Theater often reflected the
savagery of the fighting there.
In the Bataan Death March, American
POW’s suffered brutal treatment by
Japanese after the surrender of the
Philippines.
 Japanese soldiers often committed suicide
rather than surrender.

The treatment of prisoners in
Europe more closely followed the
ideas of the Geneva Convention.
Specific groups were often the
object of hatred and prejudice.
During World War II , they faced
increased risk of discrimination.
Genocide

The systematic and purposeful destruction
of a racial, political, religious, or cultural
group.
Final Solution
Germany made the decision to
exterminate all Jews. This began
the Holocaust!
The Affected Groups Include:





Jews
Poles
Slavs
Gypsies
“Undesirables”
– Homosexuals
– Mentally Ill
– Political Dissidents
Nuremburg Trials
Nazi leaders and others were convicted of
war crimes.
 Emphasized individual responsibility for
actions during a war, regardless of orders
received.
 Led to an increased demand for a Jewish
homeland.

1. What did the Lend Lease Act
give the president the authority to
do?
To sell or lend equipment for
countries to defend themselves
From?
The Axis powers
2. What did Franklin Roosevelt
compare the Lend Lease Act to?
Lending a garden hose to put out a
house fire
3. What started World War II?
Hitler’s invasion of Poland
Who teamed with Hitler and also
invaded Poland?
The Soviet Union
4. What caused the U. S. to favor
the Allied powers instead of
remaining neutral?
The Battle of Britain
Hitler succeeded in taking France.
5. How did the U. S. react to
Japan’s invasion of Manchuria?
The U. S. enacted an embargo on the
export of steel and oil to Japan.
What doctrine refused recognition
of Japan’s territorial gains?
The Stimson Doctrine
6. What two actions prompted the
U. S. to enter the war?
1. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
2. Hitler honored his pact to declare
war on the United States.
7. Where did the Allied forces
concentrate their efforts?
Europe to defeat Hitler first.
What was the strategy used in
the Pacific called?
Island hopping
8. What was the first thing the
Axis wanted to accomplish?
Defeat the Soviet Union and take their
oil fields
Why?
They wanted to force Britain out of the
war before America could turn the tide.
9. What important battle was
fought in Africa?
El Alamein – British victory prevented
the capture of Middle East oil fields,
the Suez Canal and Egypt
Why was the Stalingrad battle
important?
This turned the tide in the east and
prevented the capture of Soviet oil fields.
10. Why did Truman decide to use
the atomic bomb?
He felt it would shorten the war
therefore lower casualties.
11. Match the following.
Tuskegee Airmen
Communication
codes
Navajo Marines
Asian Americans
Nisei regiments
African Americans
12. What was the purpose of the
Geneva Convention?
To insure humane treatment of
prisoners
Give an example of the brutal
treatment of prisoners.
The Bataan Death March when U. S.
soldiers were brutalized in the
Philippines.
13. Why was the American victory
on Okinawa important?
It set the stage for an attack on
Japan itself.
14. What were Germany’s leaders
placed on trial for?
Giving and following orders to commit
war crimes
15. What invasion liberated
France?
The invasion at Normandy called the
D-Day Invasion